Ambitions and priorities at RNIB Pears Centre

Ambitions

As part of our strategy until 2014, we will strive to be:

• The first choice for care and education for children and young people with complex needs who are blind or partially sighted, and that we can support their families, carers and the people supporting them.
• Recognised as a leader in our field of expertise and as an example of high quality services to other similar providers and to positively influence standards in our area of work.
• A centre of shared learning in how best to support the children and young people we exist to serve, therefore enabling us to continue to learn from others too.
• Central to RNIB and its work with people with complex needs who are blind or partially sighted, and to make a valuable contribution to the communities of which we are a part.

Priorities

We have established five overarching priorities that will guide all of our work between 2009 and 2014.

Each year annual action plans will be produced for the areas of care, therapies and health support, business support and development, and our school will update its development plan.

Together these will form one annual plan for the Pears Centre (formerly RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home) that will show the steps we will take towards achieving our objectives each year. Our plans are central to delivering RNIB's strategy for 2009-2014.

To enable us to achieve our ambitions for the future we will be focusing on five key areas:

1. Young people first
2. Equipping ourselves for the future
3. Achieving excellence
4. Delivering together
5. Sustainable growth.

Our objectives

• Provide a smooth and effective transition from the young person's previous placement to RNIB Pears Centre for Specialist Learning (formerly RNIB Rushton School and Children's Home).
• Identify and meet the educational, social and healthcare needs of all the young people at RNIB Pears Centre.
• Promote the intellectual, social, physical, emotional, cultural, moral and spiritual development of young people living and learning at RNIB Pears Centre.
• Encourage the young people to grow in confidence and to develop self-esteem, so enabling them to celebrate their individuality.
• Promote independence and minimise dependence, both physically and emotionally.
• Provide an equal service to all young people at RNIB Pears Centre, irrespective of ethnicity, gender, background, ability or religion.
• Involve families in key decisions relating to their son or daughter's education, care and healthcare.
• Provide effective means of communication for the young people, their families, the professionals who work with them and the agencies who support them.
• Develop and maintain links with the local community.
• Support the smooth and effective transition of each young person to their next placement by working with parents and carers, all stakeholders and associated agencies.

Organisational membership

We are members of a range of national and international forums, bodies and organisations which support our work and promote best practice:

• National Association of Independent Schools and Non-Maintained Special Schools (NASS)
• Entitlement and Quality Education for Pupils with Learning Difficulties (EQUALS)
• Independent Children's Homes Association (ICHA)
• International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI)
• NASEN
• Visual Impairment Touches All Learning (VITAL)

Further information

• Education at RNIB Pears Centre
• Care at RNIB Pears Centre
• Healthcare and therapies at RNIB Pears Centre

Get in touch

We welcome visits and enquiries from parents, carers, other family members and professionals. Contact RNIB Pears Centre.